Simple Things
by The Queen of Asgard
Summary: Coast Guardsman Hannah "Hannibal" Isbell is accustomed to pulling people out of the water. But, when vacationing in England with her best friend, she doesn't expect to pull a rather famous someone out of the Thames. When she and Tom Hiddleston fall in love, she must choose: her country or heart. Simple problems don't always have simple solutions.
1. Chapter 1

"Somebody get him!" I heard someone scream as I whipped my head around to see someone fall straight into the Thames. I didn't even think twice. My training kicked in and I took off at a dead sprint towards the dyke that separated me from 12 feet of air and then 12 feet of water.

My head spinning and the dyke getting closer, I felt my sneakered feet leave the ground and fly over the wall, 10 years of prior swimming and diving kicking in as I gracefully arched over the water.

Not that the dive helped much. The water hit me like a brick wall as I nearly froze up in the freezing cold, probably super polluted Thames. I dared to open my eyes and a brown, mud filled world greeted me. Groaning inwardly, I broke the surface and took a deep breath, scanning for the person who had fallen into the water. My eyes locked on his body and using long strokes, I swam over to him. Thankfully, he hadn't flipped over and I managed to get my arms up and around his armpits before I grabbed him and then began to frog kick, looking for the best way out of the water.

"Hey, get him over to the shore over there!" Someone yelled as my eyes snapped to a slope that seemed to lead to a park. People lined the bridge and gawked at me as I carried the unconscious man over to shore. Thankfully, my hair was in a neat bun so hair hadn't flown into my mouth but at that moment, it would be the least of my problems. The river only had a slight current and I managed to get close enough to the shore for my toes to grace the mud, stick and whatever else was down there, encrusted bottom.

Finally, I managed to place both feet on the bottom and I pulled myself and the man onto the sandy banks as people swarmed us. The man was breathing, thankfully but he had a nasty gash on his forehead that made me wonder if that was the reason that he had been knocked unconscious to begin with.

"Good God, are you mad?!"

"Good thing she did it, look at who she saved!"

I turned my head to the person I had just jumped in the water to rescue and my heart nearly stopped. It wasn't because he was extremely good looking nor the fact that he wore nicer clothes than I could ever afford to wear. No, the reason my heart had stopped was because at a first glance, I hadn't recognized who it was. His signature curly, Gene Wilder hair was flattened with river water and God only knew what else, his bright blue-green eyes weren't alive and jaunty but closed and his mouth wasn't smiling.

"Oh my gods," I groaned as people started taking pictures on their cell phones, "I just saved Tom Hiddleston!"

Chapter 1

My Trip to London

My name is Hannah "Hannibal" Isbell. I am 23 years old and my soul belongs to the sea, my body to the United States Coast Guard and my heart belongs to…well, I'll get to that in a little while. I'm sorry if that all confused me, it all happened to fast, I couldn't help but blurt it out. Maybe you're wondering, "Well, what's an American doing in London?" Well, that's an entire story all in itself and it goes a little something like this…

I was working on one of our boats one early fall afternoon. The day couldn't have been better with temperatures getting up into the upper 70's since July and a sun that shone down as we worked, giving me a rather nasty sunburn.

I'm a Boatswain's Mate, meaning that I get to drive and work on the boats. Any maintenance done? That's my line of expertise. It was one of those days that seemed to go on forever but that was alright. It was my sort of day.

Suddenly, my phone started buzzing in my front breast pocket. I reached for the phone, juggling the rag and can of cleaner I had before managing to pull the device and hold it up to my ear.

"Petty Officer Isbell," I said in my best 'no-nonsense' tone of voice.

"Well, hey there stranger!" My best friend Emily's voice oozed from the other side of the telephone and I rolled my eyes and laughed.

"Hey Em, what's up?" I asked as I rubbed my now black hands on my coveralls.

"You remember how you said you wanted a vacation? Time away from all the hubbub of the station to get away from it all?" She asked and I snorted and rolled my eyes again.

"Okay, where did you get a brochure to this time?" I asked slowly as she took a deep breath.

"Uh, try the greatest place on earth!" She exclaimed as I laughed and switched ears.

"Alright, you've got me stumped!" I exclaimed as she laughed again and I nearly dropped the phone off the boat when she told me where she wanted to go.

"London, England!" She exclaimed as my heart leapt up to my throat, "And I can get a really fucking sweet discount for two tickets. Well, Petty Officer Isbell, what do you say about that?"

"Hell yes! Get those tickets, we're going to London. When are we leaving?"

"How soon can you get leave?"

I thought for a few second, rubbing my chin with an oily hand, leaving a mark on my face, "I could probably get leave within the next three weeks."

"Brilliant. Get some super cute clothes, we're going to London."

True to her word, Emily and I landed in the London Heathrow Airport at 11:15 in the morning feeling rather exhausted from 9 hours in the air. However, with the whole of England at our fingertips for an entire month, we knew that we would have to hit the ground running. A rental car was paid for and squabbling was had between Emily and I for who would drive in the city. Reluctantly, I volunteered and in our green car, we took off and went into the city.

As we drove, we talked about all the famous and infamous people that lived in England and our chances of seeing any of them.

"Maybe we'll see Florence Welsh! I mean, she's back in London, isn't she?" Emily asked as I navigated around a roundabout.

"You'd have to check. I'm not sure." I said simply, turning out and getting a honk from someone, "Sorry! Stupid Americans here!"

"Ooh, what about Tom Hiddleston? What would you do if we saw him, Hannah?" Emily said with a mischievous wink. I felt my cheeks heat up as I turned onto another road that would lead to our hotel.

"We're not going to meet Tom Hiddleston. It's TOM. He'll have a million girls all over him!" I said as Emily chortled and rolled her eyes.

"A million and ONE if you had your way!" Emily insisted as I laughed nervously.

"Come on, I'm a RESPECTABLE fan!"

"You're more than a fan. You're his number one girl! President of the Coast Guard's Tom Hiddleston club!" Emily said as I laughed again.

"I'm the only person in the Coast Guard's Tom Hiddleston," I snorted as I turned into a large building and was greeted by men and women in green uniforms and pillbox hats. "He's got other priorities. We probably won't see him when we're here."

"Never say never," Emily said with a wink as we got out of the car and began our great adventure.

"Alright Tom, face the camera and run your hand through your hair," the photographer, an older man with hipster glasses demanded as Tom sighed and inwardly rolled his eyes. Of course he would never tell the photographer that he was feeling rather ill, being the gentleman he was, but indeed he had been feeling ill all morning. He obliged with what the photographer asked as he grinned and snapped at least 50 pictures. The photographer pulled the camera away and glanced down at the pictures, "Nah, I don't like them."

"Sorry," Tom said automatically as he nodded his thanks to a woman who brought him a glass of water, "Do you want to try something else?"

The photographer cocked his head and narrowed his eyes, "Can you sit on the wall and put a leg up on the wall? I bet that would look really good."

"Yeah, alright," Tom agreed as they walked over to the side of the bridge. It was a long way down to the churning muddy water of the Thames and the height made him feel slightly dizzy.

"Okay Tom, look towards the camera!" The photographer said as Tom threw a foot up and grinned. However, at that very moment, a wave of dizziness swept over him and he felt himself lose his grip and seating on the bridge's barriers. He felt his head slam against a buttress and his vision went dark. However, before he hit the water, he heard someone scream, "SOMEBODY GRAB HIM!"

I took a step backwards as Tom winced in his unconscious state. "Please don't tell me I killed him..." I groaned as people started running over the hill. Slowly, Tom's eyes opened and they widened when he saw me. I dropped to the ground and pulled off my soaking wet jacket and shoved it under his head.

"Mr. Hiddleston, can you hear me?!" I demanded as his eyelids fluttered closed again as I turned to a woman who was just coming down the hill, her eyes wild.

"What the bloody hell happened?!" She demanded as I applied pressure to Tom's head wound. He might have a concussion but I couldn't be sure. I was no medic by any means.

"Ma'am, I need you to call 911." I said sharply, retaining my military bearing. When she did nothing, I realized that England had their own version of that number, "Just call an ambulance. Tell him someone's been knocked unconscious." I said as the woman nodded and pulled out her phone. I heard her telling the operator the details as I applied more pressure to Tom's head.

"Come on Tom, stay with me," I mumbled as blood oozed through my fingers. More people surrounded us, snapping pictures and taking videos. The woman tried to keep them off but they were like piranhas on a cow carcass. Finally, pushing through the crowd was a group of paramedics with the photographer who was complaining that his photoshoot was ruined.

"We'll take it from here, Miss." One murmured as they began to apply pressure to his wound and pulled him up onto the stretcher.

"Careful with him!" I snapped angrily as they loaded him onto the stretcher and shoved past the crowds who were gawking and still snapping pictures. They followed the paramedics until they had loaded Tom up and had driven away. It was at that point I realized that they had taken my jacket.

"Son of a bitch," I groaned and looked over to see Emily running towards me.

"Hannah!" She gasped, out of air, "You did it! You saved him!"

I groaned and fell against the hard, damp ground, "Yeah, I did. Ugh. I'm dead. All I want is a hot shower and a meal."

Suddenly, the photographer was next to us, looking down at me, "Can I get your phone number?"

I blinked up stupidly at him and sat up, "exCUSE me?!" I demanded as the man merely rolled his eyes.

"Your phone number. Knowing Tom, he would never forgive me for not getting the number or name of his savior."

I sighed and pulled my phone out of my pocket. It was soaking wet. "Not that it will do you any good. My phone is wet."

The photographer shrugged and then rummaged in his pockets, looking for something. Finally, he pulled out a piece of paper and a pen before handing it to me.

"At least put down your name and where you're staying. I'm sure that Tom would love to thank you." He said as I scribbled down something, my hands shaking like something fierce. I handed him back the paper and he nodded and smiled.

"I'll make sure he gets this." He said before turning on his heel and leaving the park, trailed by two gaudy assistants and the smell of expensive cologne.


	2. Chapter 2

**Oh yeah, I'm back with this piece of wonderfulness! O happy day! **  
**Thanks to my reviewers and the people who added this to their list of favorite stories and whatnot. You guys are greatest. **  
**Other than that, thanks for reading and enjoy!**

* * *

"Come on, Hannah," Emily said as I watched the clock, sitting on my bed. I had taken a shower and my hair hung loosely around my face. My bangs were pinned back and I wore no makeup with jeans and a Doctor Who tee shirt. "We've got to get out and do something. Tower of London? Buckingham Palace? Shopping?"

I waved off each of these suggestions off, and fell against the bed, "I was this close to him, Emmy. I could have reached out and kissed him if I wanted to." I rolled over and looked at her, making faces, "I bet he's a damn good kisser."

"Well I guess we'll never know." Emily said as she plopped down on the bed next to me, "Come on, we'll go shopping at one of those super fancy boutiques. Maybe buy an awesome shirt from Hot Topic?"

I sat up and shrugged my shoulders, "I don't know. It's just…I feel like my life isn't the same anymore. I mean, I SAVED Tom Hiddleston from drowning. That never happens unless it's in the movies or books or something."

"Yeah, I realize that but you've been moping around for the past three hours. It's time to go do something! He's not suddenly going to…"

A knock came from the door. Emily looked over at me and gawked as I jumped up from the bed and raced over to her.

"How do I look?" I hissed, running a hand through my hair.

"Fine! Just answer the door!" She whispered back as I ran over to the door and squared my shoulders before opening it.

A tall man with square glasses and spiky blonde hair looked down at me and arched an eyebrow, "Hannah Isbell?"

"Yeah, that's me," I said breathlessly as he handed me a cell phone box that felt like it had a phone in it.

"My name is Alex Jekins and I'm Mr. Hiddleston's personal assistant. He thanks you profusely for saving him and said that he will be calling you as soon as he's out of the hospital which should be in a few hours."

I glanced over at Emily who was screaming behind her hands, "Uh, alright. Should I know anything else?"

He handed me an armful of plastic wrapped outfits, at least five or six and then smiled slightly before pulling out a Galaxy S3. "Mr. Hiddleston requests that you accompany him to dinner tonight, as a thank you."

I nodded numbly as the man nodded his farewell, turned on his heel and exited the hallway, his tasteful shoes making no noise on the carpet. I turned back to Emily who was gawking at me and the dresses.

"Is that green in there?! Emerald green?" She squeaked as I pulled out a pleated halter dress with an empire waist of rhinestones. "You have GOT to try that on!"

"How did they get my size?!" I demanded, checking the tag. The dress cost a vast amount of money and I nearly fell over when I saw the name of the prestigious London designer.

"Not sure!" Emily said as she shifted through the other dresses. I picked up the dress and then headed to the bathroom to try it on. I shimmied out of my jeans and shirt and pulled off my bra before slipping the dress over my head. It was cool and silky and fit me like a glove. I clasped the back and glanced at my reflection, almost floored. The dress was stunning and complimented my dark brown hair and fair complexion. I had always been full figured but the dress made my body slim and elegant. The front was shorter but the back was long and brushed the floor. It was pleated with a boxy halter look to show off a large expansion of my chest. I thought for a moment before going to the little baggie I had brought with me full of costume jewelry.

I pulled out a pair of long rhinestone earrings and placed them in my ears, giving me a swan-like neck. I felt like a princess.

I emerged from the bathroom as Emily was in mid-sentence.

"…If the purple one doesn't fit you can I…holy shit princess Loki!" She gawked as I smiled and did a 360.

"What do you think?" I asked as she applauded and laughed.

"You look perfect!" She gushed making me turn in one more circle, "Fantastic, Tom is going to flip his lid when he sees you!"

"I sure hope so!" I said, chuckling slightly, "I think he likes emerald. I don't think his assistant would pick something he can't stand."

"Good point. I wonder when he'll call." Emily said softly, as I walked back into the bathroom and took off the dress, hanging it back up, "I still cannot believe you saved him. Like, actually SAVED him from drowning."

"Could you imagine if he made you famous?!" Emily gushed as I poked my head out of the bathroom.

"I could be the next Companion," I said dreamily while getting dressed again, "Come on, let's go shopping. I need shoes for this amazing dress."

"I concur with that statement," Emily said, grabbing her purse and room key, "Shall we, future Miss Hiddleston?!"

I giggled and blushed slightly, "Oh stop it you!"

Emily did a wolf whistle as we walked from the room and she began talking, "In that dress, he'll propose by dessert! No doubt in my mind."

I rolled my eyes and scoffed, "Maybe in my dreams! I can't believe I'm going out with him though. To dinner. Oh my lanta. I am so nervous! What if I make a complete and utter ass out of myself?!"

"Impossible," Emily said, chortling. "You can't make an ass out of yourself if you tried!"

I smiled at my best friend and she smiled back, "You're going to make him fall in love with you. I just know it."

I chuckled and brushed my hair behind my ear as we walked out onto the street, "It's only a thank you date. Nothing romantic."

"But you want it to be romantic! Duh!" Emily grinned as we walked down the street and began gawking at the things in the windows of the shops and laughed behind our hands as we walked into stores and saw the things they had on display.

As we walked, my hand kept brushing my pocket where my new phone was nestled like an egg in a nest. When would he ring?! Had the whole thing been a giant joke? He wouldn't really call me, would he?

* * *

Several hours later, I had the perfect pair of pumps in my bag and a very simple necklace around my neck. Suddenly, my phone started going off with a bright and cheery ringtone. I looked down and then back at Emily who had a really stupid smile on her face.

"Are you going to…" She didn't even finish the sentence when I whipped the phone out of my pocket and hit "Answer."

"Hello?" I said, my voice shaking slightly.

"Hello, is this Hannah Isbell?" A smooth voice like butter on velvet asked as my hands started shaking and I mouthed, 'it's him!'

"Yes, and can I ask who's calling?" I said, trying to keep my voice level.

"This is Tom Hiddleston, the one you rescued in the Thames. I must give you my greatest thanks for that heroic rescue, by the way."

I smiled and scoffed slightly, "It's my job, no thanks needed."

I left out the part about how I would swim through an ocean of thumbtacks and hot coals to save him. Why make him feel more creeped out than he probably already did?

"Well, you saved my life and I am forever in your debt. So, I was calling to not only thank you but to ask you to my favorite restaurant for dinner. Would you do me the honor?"

"Of course!" I gushed, feeling my smile get even wider, "Just tell me when and where and I'll be there!"

"It's called the Bistro and I'll send a car to come and pick you up. How does 8:30 sound to you?"

"That sounds absolutely perfect!" I said and did a little dance of happiness. "I can't wait to meet you…again."

"And I look forward to meeting you as well, Miss Isbell." He said before bidding his farewell. I hit the "end" button and then grabbed Emily and we started screaming in the middle of the street.

"What time?!" She demanded as we composed ourselves.

"He said 8:30 and he would send a car to pick me up." I gushed as she grinned and bounced slightly.

"That's so perfect!" She squealed as she looped her arm through mine and we walked down the streets of London and like we were in a movie, we swung our hips and feet in perfect time as if to a song.

* * *

"Okay, your hair is done," Emily said, pulling away a curling iron from my hair. I opened my eyes and gawked at what Emily had done. My hair hung down in neat curls, just brushing my shoulders. They were pinned back to show off my earrings that hung down to my collarbone. I had dusted glitter on my breastbone and I did my makeup boldly but simply with soft, shimmery pink lips, silver eyes and bronzed cheeks.

"I look…"

"Fantastic. You look like a princess!" Emily said as she sprayed my hair with glittery hairspray as I stood up and slipped into my heels and spun around. "If Tom doesn't fall for you tonight then he's obviously gay."

I laughed softly and looked at myself in the mirror. I did look like a princess. I glanced at the clock and saw that the clock said 8:27. I turned to grab the clutch that I had purchased to match the dress and then turned to Emily. "Okay, I think I'm ready."

She nodded just as there was a knock at the door. I felt my stomach turn up in a knot and I turned back to Emily. "Wish me luck!"

"Luck to you!" She called as I opened the door. A pudgy, bald man in a chauffer's outfit looked at me up and down and arched an eyebrow.

"I'm guessing you're Tom's date?" He asked slowly as I nodded exuberantly, "Should have known. Come along then!"

I followed him out into the hallway as he began speaking, "Name's Derrick. I'm not usually on these sorts of assignments but Tom was insistent. He's looking forward to meeting you."

"I'm looking forward to meeting him," I admitted as Derrick chuckled and opened the door of a sleek black Lexus for me.

"I know plenty of women who would kill to be in your place right now, Miss Isbell."

"Please, call me Hannah," I responded as I slipped into the car and was greeted with the smell of leather. I inhaled and leaned into the cool, plush seat, "How long until we get to the Bistro?" I asked as Derrick looked back at me, arching an eyebrow.

"Twenty minutes Mi…I mean Hannah. Anything I can get for you? There's an article about you back there if you're interested. You and your heroic rescue. It's going to be front pages tomorrow, just you wait."

I picked up an afternoon copy of The London Journal and pored through the pages until I saw a grainy picture of me pulling Tom out of the Thames. An article asking for the identification of this mysterious heroine was at the very bottom of the page and I snorted and threw the paper aside, fiddling with my new phone. I pulled up the story on the internet and saw a link to it on my Tumblr page shared by a friend of mine back home.

I gawked at it when I saw it had been shared almost 150,000 times with interesting comments underneath. I chose not to read them as I scrolled through looking at Tom's Twitter page. Thousands of people had commented on it, asking if he was alright. I chuckled and rolled my eyes, watching a Youtube video or two. Ugh, I was obsessed with him.

Derrick and I made small talk but I was so nervous, I could barely talk. Finally, the car slowed down and my heart began to hammer as I saw a super fancy building with people in dapper evening wear and tuxedos walking in and out. "Oh gods, I don't think I can do this." I mumbled as Derrick pulled up to the curb and got out to open the door. I stepped out into the chilly London air and looked up at the gentle lights and fancy foliage. It was the classiest place I had ever been in my entire life. I didn't belong here. I was a small town girl from humble beginnings yet here I was, meeting the man in my dreams in a swanky dress at a very fancy restaurant in the heart of London.

I smoothed out my dress and looked up the steps, half expecting Tom to be there. However, he wasn't so I bade my farewell to Derrick who told me Tom would drive me home. I took a deep breath and took the first step, my heart in my throat. I scaled the concrete stairs quickly and brushed my bangs out of my face.

The doors were opened for me by two handsomely dressed men as I stepped into a lobby that made me feel like I was wasting someone's money by standing there.

That's when I saw him. He was in a very simple yet elegant outfit and my heart stopped. Standing there, in the corner, talking with a couple that looked quite enamored with Gene Wilder strawberry blonde hair, slicked back slightly, a slight bit of stubble and bright turquoise eyes, was the man of my dreams. He glanced up at me and looked me up and down before smiling and taking a step towards me. He looked tired but other than that, he looked to be in good health.

"Ah, you must be Miss Isbell," He said softly as I laughed slightly and smiled back.

"You can call me Hannah, Mr. Hiddleston," I said, trying not to swoon.

"And you may call me Tom. I believe that we might as well be on first name basis, don't you?" He asked and I nearly fell right there and then in love with him.

"Mr. Hiddleston, your table is ready." A very pretty waitress said as Tom offered me his arm and blushing, I took it.

"By the way, I was afraid that the dress wouldn't fit. Not only does it fit but you look absolutely stunning. Although I believe you'd be stunning in a pair of jeans and tee shirt." He said softly and my ovaries nearly dropped out of my body right there and then. No wonder so many girls were in love with him. He wasn't the typical Hollywood egotistical jerk. He really was a gentleman.

"Our wine this evening is 1963 Merlot complementing our special, freshly caught wild cod from the south coast on a bed of wild rice and a freshly prepared roll."

Tom glanced at me and I looked back, too starstruck to say a word. "Can we get two orders of that and a bottle of wine?"

The waitress nodded and then moved away to allow Tom and I to talk. He turned to me and gave me that stunning smile. Gods, could he be any less perfect?!

"So Hannah, tell me how you got the skills to save people when they fall of bridges." Tom said as I glanced down at my lap and bit my lip to keep from grinning like a moron. Finally, I looked back up and smiled sweetly.

"I belong to the U.S. Coast Guard," I admitted as Tom's eyebrows shot up and he leaned back.

"The Coast Guard? So I'm guessing you're one of those people who jumps ridiculous heights and rescues poor men like me who find themselves in unfortunate circumstances. Of course," he said, leaning forward, "If all your rescue swimmers looked as lovely as you, I wouldn't mind going falling off bridges as much."

I felt a blush crawl up my face as I gave a sheepish grin and cleared my throat, "No, I wish. I'm a Boatswain's Mate. I work on the boats and drive them. It's rather…dull. We train to be surface swimmers. Nothing like what rescue swimmers do. But usually we're able to get them out of the water before we have to get in. It does get mighty cold in Oregon."

"I see," He said as our wine was brought to the table, "And might I ask what you are doing in London?"

"I came for a visit with a friend. I'm here for a month." I said, as I held up my hand to signal the waiter only a little bit of wine. He bowed slightly before moving away from the table as Tom turned back to me and smiled warmly, "Trust me, I wasn't expecting to pull anyone out of the water, let alone someone was well known as Tom Hiddleston!"

Tom chortled and sipped his wine. "So, what do you do in your free time?" He asked as I took a sip of my own wine, admiring the quality of the flavor. I wasn't much of a wine drinker but this…this I could handle.

"Uh…I paint and do ballroom dancing when I'm not working. I'm not very good at either, I'm afraid." I chuckled as he did the same, "What about you? What do you do when you're not involved in falling off bridges?"

Tom laughed at that as I smiled and looked down at my fidgeting hands, "Well, I love to play the guitar and I sing a little bit. Music is a definite passion of mine. I know how to dance a little bit but I'm not very good at it. I guess acting's really my forte, no matter how you slice it."

"But you're so good at it!" I gushed before meaning to, "I mean…Loki was my favorite character in Thor, even though he was the bad guy and when you played Fitzgerald in A Midnight in Paris…Oh my lanta Tom, I think you're the best actor I've ever seen."

He arched an eyebrow and then raised his glass in a toast, "Well then, here's to you, Miss Hannah, my Savior and Guardian."

I raised my own glass, blushing as the clink of glass was heard.

Much too soon, our food arrived and I did my best not to inhale the tiny portion all in one bite. We laughed and talked about everything from politics to art to music and even dabbled in acting again.

"You said that you've always wanted to be an actress, didn't you?" Tom asked me as I looked up from my nearly gone rice.

"Yeah, I mean it's always been a dream of mine to be a Companion on Doctor Who." I admitted, blushing slightly. "I've been a fan of the show since I was a kid."

"You and me both," Tom admitted as my jaw dropped open and I grinned.

"Is there anything about you that's not absolutely amazing?!" I demanded as the waiter brought the bill and sat it down on the table. Tom picked it up and reached into his back pocket, opening his wallet and flashing an impressive amount of plastic.

"Well, we all have our flaws," Tom said as the waiter picked up the check and the card, quickly running it through portable machine he held in one hand.

"Have a nice night, Mr. Hiddleston," The waiter said, also giving me a curt nod before walking away to go help some other ridiculously wealthy patrons.

"Well, shall we then?" Tom asked, standing up. I did the same and grabbed my jacket off the back of my chair. As soon as I was done, Tom offered me his arm which I took timidly and again, we were off.

As soon as we were down the stairs of the Bistro, Tom turned to me, "Do you like ice cream?"

The question took me off guard, "I beg your pardon?"

"You know ice cream! Unless you Oregon people have a funny word for it that I'm unaware of…"

I laughed and a blush crawled up my cheeks, "Ice cream would be awesome,"

"Excellent. I know a wonderful place to get ice cream about two blocks from here. We can walk around Hyde Park if you'd like as well."

"As long as it doesn't conflict with your evening, I am for it." I said as Tom grinned and took one long step towards the direction of the ice cream parlor. People gawked at us as we walked by and some even stopped Tom and asked for his autograph, eyeing me suspiciously. I couldn't even pass for a celebrity but Tom…he wore the aura of a man who would (and had on many occasions) steal your breath away with his confidence and charm. When someone would stop him, I would dutifully stand back as they took a picture with him or had him sign something of theirs.

Finally, we walked into the ice cream parlor and each bought a cone of butter brickle which was something I had never tried. We walked out of the ice cream shop laughing as we tried to keep up with the melting ice cream, keeping it from dripping onto our wrists and fingers.

"I'll admit, I haven't had this much fun with a girl in a long time. Usually, it's all about work." Tom admitted before I began crunching on the bottom of my come, sucking the sugary juices from the hole.

"I cannot tell you the last time I went out on a date in general." I laughed as I finished my cone.

"What? I'm shocked! A beautiful, charming girl like yourself not having a date? Might I ask why?" He asked as the red heat of embarrassment crawled up my face again.

"Uh…well…erm…Can I be frank with you?" I asked, finally getting the words out. I could spot the white car that had dropped me off at the restaurant not three hours earlier.

"Of course," Tom said before someone else spotted him, screamed and begged for me to take a picture of the two of them together. The topic was dropped as Tom opened the door for me and I crawled into the backseat, thankful for the warm car. The ice cream had made me so cold I was shivering.

"Are you really that cold?" Tom asked, crawling into the backseat next to me.

"I guess that ice cream made me colder than I thought it was going to," I laughed slightly between chattering teeth as Tom took off his jacket and draped it around my shoulders.

Oh my lanta. The smell of him nearly knocked me off my feet. I didn't know what cologne he was wearing but at that very moment, I wanted to drench myself and everything I owned in it.

"Hopefully that will warm you up," Tom said before taking my hands and resting them between his own. I was afraid mine would be sticky but that was quickly forgotten because Tom's were also just a bit sticky from the ice cream.

I'm holding hands with Tom Hiddleston! My brain screamed at me as I tried to keep my cool. However, I knew that this would be the first thing I told Emily as soon as I got back to the hotel.

Finally, the car rumbled up to the arches of the hotel and Tom got out, opening the door for me. I stepped out, smiling as he looked at me.

"Thank you so much for the wonderful evening, Hannah." He said as he wrapped his arms around my waist to give me a hug. I took it and inhaled deeply, taking in every inch of his perfect-ness. This would probably be the last time I would ever see him.

But the hug didn't end there. Oh no, because Tom Hiddleston had the most glorious audacity to reach down and brush his perfectly formed lips against mine for a split second before giving my waist a squeeze.

"I want to see you again." He said softly as he pulled away, looking at me with his gorgeous blue eyes that looked gray in the lights of the hotel.

"Uh…yeah." I mumbled stupidly as Tom laughed slightly and smiled.

"Would you like to be my date at a party that I'm attending next weekend?" He asked as my brain snapped back into focus.

"Uh…yes! Yes, I definitely want to be your date!" I said, quickly getting bearings.

"Excellent. Then I will see you next week on Saturday. I'll call you with more details." Tom said, before letting go of me completely and stepping back towards the car.

"Oh, Tom!" I called before he could get into the backseat. He looked up at me expectantly and I nearly fell to my knees and confessed that I would drag myself through an ocean of glass to just look at him. However, I managed to keep my cool as I tucked a stray curl behind my ear and smiled weakly, "The reason I haven't dated a guy in a really long time was…to tell you the truth, they weren't you. I gave up on ever even MEETING you but you were always there, in the back of my mind, setting the standards for me without me even realizing it."

Tom smiled and laughed again, "Hannah, you're too sweet. I'll be counting down the days until Saturday."

"Me too," I said as, with one more wave, he got into the back of the car and it drove away from the curb.

As soon as it was out of sight, I let out a scream and then began to jump up and down in happiness. I had not only gotten another date out of my Prince Charming but I had gotten a KISS!

I took the stairs two at a time and nearly burst through the door. "OHMIGODSOHMIGODSEMILLLLLLY!" I shrieked, bursting through the door.

"HANNAH! TELL ME ALL ABOUT IT!" She screamed back as we jumped around the room, screaming and jumping up and down.

"Well, he kissed me!" I gushed as Emily screamed again and grabbed me by the shoulders.

"TOM HIDDLESTON KISSED THOSE LIPS?!" She demanded in a screech, pointing to my own mouth.

I nodded as she screamed again, letting me go. I launched into all the details of the night, right down to the girl who had given me the stinkeye outside of Hyde Park.

"…And he wants me to be his date to a party he's attending next Saturday." I said as Emily clapped and did a little dance of happiness.

"I am so happy for you!" She said as I dropped down onto the bed.

"What if we end up getting married?" I asked wistfully, kicking off my heels, "And he's a Doctor Who fan. He told me that they're considering him for the next Doctor. Could you imagine?!"

"I couldn't," Emily said, flopping down beside me, "I am beyond jealous of you, just a heads up."

We talked long into the night but finally, sleep claimed me into its loving, although not Tom Hiddleston worthy, arms.

* * *

**Yeah, don't mind the crazy fangirl over here. **


	3. Chapter 3

**In advance, I apologize for the cheesiness of this story. I completely understand that it's a shameless self insert but...Sometimes a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. This is, yes, not one of my better stories but I'm really enjoying it. So...I guess this is more for my own amusement than the amusement of anybody else. Sorry to disappoint you but...ah well. **  
**Tom Hiddleston (c) Himself, I guess...**  
**Hannah Isbell (c) Myself!**

* * *

"Hey Sleeping Beauty, you're on TV," Emily said through a mouthful of scrambled eggs. I sat up instantly, ignoring my smeared makeup and ratty bedhead.

"…Woman jumped into the Thames, risking her own life for…" The news reporter said as Emily flipped the channel to another reporter.

"Witnesses said that the woman pulled Mr. Tom Hiddleston out onto the bank of a nearby park and from there the actor was taken to a hospital…"

Again, she flicked the channel and now, a talk show was on and Tom was being interviewed by several people. My heart did a flip when I saw him in his signature brown leather jacket, white tee shirt and smile that could light up the dark side of the moon.

"Now Tom, the UK's been dying to know about this photograph that was shot last night!" A grainy picture of Tom kissing me popped up on the screen and I groaned and flopped back down on the bed, "Who is the girl you're snogging? Is she your girlfriend? Old flame?"

Tom laughed and held up his hands in a gesture for them to slow down, "No and no. She's the one who rescued me out of the Thames. I only took her out to dinner to show her how grateful I was but…I got to spend an evening with her and I could definitely see her as something more than just a girl I'd want to take on a thank you date."

"So does that mean you'll be seeing her again?"

"What's her name?"

"Are you saying you have feelings for your Guardian Angel?"

I scoffed and grabbed a scone off of Emily tray, "Guardian Angel? Is that what we're calling me now?"

"Yes, I will be seeing her again, hopefully soon. Her name is Hannah and yes, I do have feelings for her. She is a strong woman and I am so thankful that fate brought us together…even if it was in such a strange way."

The woman on the TV sighed a little bit…in jealousy or happiness…and then turned to the camera. "Well, there you have it. A girl whose life I'm sure has been turned upside down by the presence of Mr. Hiddleston. Coming up next…"

Emily clicked off the TV and took another bite of cereal. I groaned and fell back onto the bed as Emily checked her phone.

"12 missed calls from your mommy. Do you think she knows?"

I looked up and made a face at Emily, "Trust me. She knows these things."

She tossed her phone at me and I fumbled in midair trying to catch it, "Well, call her back and ask her about her Spidey Senses. Oh my God. Do you think Tom knows Chris Evans?"

"I'm sure, they worked together goofball." I said, laughing as I hit 'Redial' on Emily's phone. On the second ring, my mother picked up.

"Emily, what the hell has my daughter gotten herself into this time?!" My mother demanded as I groaned and ran a hand through my still hairspray coated curls.

"Mom, it's me."

"Hannah? Do you realize how much trouble you've gotten yourself into?! What were you thinking jumping into the Thames?"

"I understand you're mad but Mom…It's my job to save people, even if they aren't technically from the U.S. plus, I didn't know he was Tom Hiddleston at the time."

"Still…what will your station think when they find out what you've done?! Will you get a dishonorable discharge?"

"Mom, I haven't even thought about work yet! I've seriously still been on pins and needles about the whole thing! He kissed me last night."

"Who? Tom?"

"No, the Boogeyman. Of course it was Tom!"

"Oh my gosh. Hannah…what am I going to do with you?"

"Love me, kiss me and sing me to sleep at night?"

"Ha, ha, you're so funny. Just don't get too involved with him. You're only in London for what? Another three weeks? Plus, he's an actor and an A list one at that. You'll only get hurt."

I scoffed and then switched ears as Emily pressed her head up against mine to listen to the conversation. "I understand, Mom. But you know I've always dreamed about this moment! I mean, I was thinking about him when you caught me using my…"

"Oh, please don't remind me of that. I didn't want to know you had…well, you know what I'm talking about." I could hear the frustration in her voice, "Sweetie, I know you've been saving your virginity for your husband. Don't waste it on a doucebag that's only going to break your heart."

"Scout's honor." I promised, crossing my heart.

"You're such a good girl. And I am proud of you. Has he asked to see you again?" She asked as I felt a giggle working itself up my throat. I managed to keep it down by clearing my throat as I spoke again.

"He wants to take me to a party at the end of the week. I don't know what it's for but…"

"Hannah Banana, you know I love you, right?" She asked suddenly as Emily nodded encouragingly.

"Of course I know you love me, Mommy." I said softly as she sighed.

"I only worry because I love you, sweetheart. And you know I'm insanely proud of you for doing your job."

"I know."

"Alright. You don't need me nagging you. I'll talk to you later. Have an awesome day in London."

I laughed softly and then bade my farewell. I handed Emily back her phone and then glanced towards the door, "Do you know if the Post came or not this morning?"

"I haven't checked," Emily admitted as she crossed the room and opened the door, "What in the world?! There are holes cut in our paper!" True to her word, she held it up and I could see her face clearly through the snips in print. "Hey, there's a letter here too." She held a white pristine envelope with my name on it in the newsprint.

"What is it?" I asked, taking it from her and turning it over in my hands. The seal wasn't even wet, only tucked in.

"You're asking me like I have psychic powers." Emily said sarcastically jumping onto her bed, "Now will you please open it?"

"Okay…here I go…" I said slowly, opening up the paper. A hastily folded piece of paper fell out and I picked it up, and slowly unfolded the paper.

"What is it?!" Emily demanded as she peered over my shoulder.

I read it once over silently and felt my stomach contract painfully. Tears blurred my vision and I quickly blinked them away, only to have them fall on the paper.

"I know who you are," I read out loud, my voice shaking in anger, "Stay away from him or I will kill you. I will kill your friend. You have been warned. Stay away from him you ugly cunt."

Emily ripped the paper out of my hand and read it again, "It's just some jealous girl who obviously hasn't been able to get her hands on Tom. Don't worry about it."

I pulled the paper out of her hand again and pointed to a part of it, "Emily! They said they would KILL you! If your death had to do with something I was doing…" I flopped down onto the bed and burned holes into the paper with my eyes, "I would never forgive myself."

Emily sat down next to me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, "Hey, calm down." She said softly, kissing my head, "They haven't done anything yet. Let's take this to the police and they'll see if they can sort it out."

I nodded silently as she helped me into a jacket and together, we hailed a cab and went down to the nearest police station, which was, thankfully, not too far away at all.

The reception didn't even bat an eyelash as Emily managed to tell her the whole story and hand her the paper with the mysterious message. Actually, she was rather sympathetic and had us wait out on the hard wooden chairs while she went to fetch a private detective. She hadn't been gone for five minutes when my phone started ringing. I quickly brought it up to my ear, trying to keep my tears to a minimum.

"Hello?" I managed to get out as my stomach turned in knots when I heard the person at the other end.

"Hannah, thank God you're alright." Tom said, obviously relieved. I jumped up out of my chair like I had been stuck with a cattle prod and looked over at Emily, "your friend Emily texted me and told me everything."

I glared at my feisty redheaded friend, giving her my infamous, 'Just-wait-until-I-get-off-the-phone look' before speaking again.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to alarm you," I said, pulling my hair up into a messy ponytail.

"No! I want to make sure that you're alright. Where are you?" He asked as I glanced out the window.

"At the police station on the corner of Emmerson and Winston." I said as I heard a shuffling of someone putting on a jacket, "Why do you ask?"

"Because I'm coming down there. If there's something that I can do to keep this person from hurting you or your friend, I'll make sure I can do it. I'll be there in half an hour, depending on the traffic."

With that, the phone went dead and I dropped my arm numbly to the side. "Emily!" I hissed, sitting down as she grinned like a loon.

"What? Second date!" She grinned and winked as I groaned and slid down the back of the chair.

"I don't even look that good," I moaned, brushing my fingers over some angry pimples on my chin and forehead. "My hair is still a mess from last night and I'm in my freaking sweatpants."

"He'll just see the real you." She said brightly before a tall man with bushy eyebrows came into the waiting room and arched an eyebrow.

"Which one of you is Miss Isbell?" he asked slowly as Emily pointed to me. He nodded to me and I followed him while Emily followed me. We walked down hallway after hallway until he stopped in front of an office and took a seat behind the desk, lacing his fingers together. "Alright. Start from the beginning."

I took a shaky breath and then smiled slightly, "Well, first off, I'm only a tourist here, if you couldn't already tell."

The detective gave me a "no shit, Sherlock" look and then motioned for me to continue, "Yesterday, I was walking along with my friend down by the Thames when I saw Tom Hiddleston fall in…"

"Wait, so you're telling me that you're the woman who jumped into the Thames to save Tom Hiddleston?" He asked slowly as I nodded, "Continue."

"I pulled him out of the water and to thank me, he took me out to dinner last night. Well, I guess it went well because he asked me to be his date to this party. This morning, Emily went to go get the post and she saw that it was all cut up. Somebody had used it to make a very nasty letter."

I slid the letter and envelope across the table where the detective picked it up and moved his eyes over it silently.

"Hmm, well…the best I can do is take this in for evidence. Maybe you should just go home, Miss Isbell. If someone wants you dead because you went out to dinner, perhaps it's best if you left."

"I can't do that!" I argued, standing up, "I've waited my whole life to come to England and I cannot begin to describe how on top of the world I was when he kissed me…"

"Look, I don't want to go into details about your love life but it would be foolish to allow you to wander around London with someone who wants you dead."

"It's just a petty letter! I doubt anybody would do anything about it." Emily stepped in,

"But they know where you're at. If it's someone in the hotel then you're not safe."

"Would they be safe with me?" A sudden voice asked as I whipped around to see Tom Hiddleston standing in the doorway! "I'll put them up at another hotel. I hate to think that this is my fault."

"Mr. Hiddleston," The detective greeted with a tip of his hat as Tom smiled and nodded in response.

"Like I was saying, I'll put them up in another hotel. They'll be safe there." He said simply as the man behind the desk narrowed his eyes before his shoulders slumped and he sighed, taking off his glasses.

"I don't see why not. I'll keep this letter as evidence and see what else I can figure out."

"Then it's settled," Tom said, turning his eyes to me and Emily, "I don't think we've had the pleasure of a meeting."

Emily stuck out her hand and smiled, "Emily Flynn, Hannah's best friend and right hand wingman…er, woman."

Tom chuckled and shook her hand, smiling, "Alright. I'll give you a ride back to your hotel and you can check out and I'll make arrangements at a hotel near my home."

"Thank you Tom." I said as he glanced over and me and gave me a knee watering smile.

"I don't want anything to happen to you." He admitted as Emily shot me a look of pure and utter shock over his shoulder.

I brushed a lock of hair behind my ear and smiled back, laughing slightly, "Well, you're too kind. You really didn't need to do this."

"Of course I did, it's my duty as a gentleman to help a lady in need…especially one who saved my own life."

As we followed him out of the detective's office, I heard her whisper "score!"

We walked out onto the busy streets of London and Tom pointed out a rather expensive looking chrome colored Mercedes Benz that looked like it would barely hold the three of us, let alone all our luggage.

"I remember where your hotel is, don't worry," Tom assured Emily as she opened her mouth to speak up. He unlocked the car and even opened the door for Emily who looked like she might have gone to hottie Heaven. She slid into the backseat and even squealed when her butt hit the smooth leather.

As soon as all doors were closed and seatbelts buckled, Tom turned to me and looked at me long and hard, "What?"

"Are you alright? Nobody tried to hurt you, did they?" He asked seriously as a blush crawled up my cheeks and my eyes widened slightly.

"No, I'm fine! It was just the letter that shook me up…really you shouldn't even be doing this. What if they know where we go? I don't want anybody to get hurt!"

"Hannah, will you calm down? It's probably a jealous fan who put two and two together," Emily assured me as I turned to her, my eyes serious.

"And knows exactly where we were?" I asked softly as she shrugged and leaned back against the leather seat.

"The fact of the matter is that they won't know where you're going now. They won't even be able to get into the lobby of the hotel that I'll be putting you two up in," Tom promised as Emily let out a little squeak of excitement.

"Alright. Well, again thank you. You don't know how much this means to me."

He smiled and then laughed slightly, "I don't know what it is, but there's something about you, Hannah."

The cherry red flooded my cheeks again, "Well…thank you Tom. You don't know how flattered that makes me."

"It's the truth," he stated simply as brushed his fingers against the back of my hand, sending chills through my body.

He stopped in front of our hotel and we jumped out, "I'm going to stay here and make arrangements for your new accommodations." He said before lifting a cell phone that probably wasn't even on the market yet to his ear.

Emily was already running up the stairs as she burst into our hotel room, "OHMYGOD! HANNAH! HE'S SO DREAMY!" She screamed as she began throwing random things into random suitcases, "What's your secret to getting super-hot movie stars to fall in love with you?!"

"Save them when their drowning?" I said lamely, actually folding something and sticking it into my suitcase, my brain fuzzy and my movements mechanical.

"Are you alright? You look like you're going to faint," Emily said, brushing my bangs out of my face. I gave her a weak smile and then sat down on the bed and ran my hands through my hair.

"I don't know Emily. Every second I'm with him, I feel like I'm going to suddenly wake up and realize that it's all a dream! This doesn't happen to anyone. EVER."

"Babe," Emily said, sitting down on the bed next to me, "You're a lucky one. I know that love's always sort of avoided you like the plague but have you ever thought that maybe, this is God's way of making it up to you."

I sniffled slightly and then wiped away a tear, "Yeah, but then this stupid person went and ruined it all."

"Only adding to the challenge!" Emily said brightly as she stood up and brushed off her sweatshirt, "Now come on, let's get packed up so we can take our stuff downstairs!"

I nodded silently as we tossed things into open bags and rummaging through the bathroom to grab as many free samples as we could.

Finally, we were loaded up and ready to go. Dragging bags down the stairs, we quickly threw our keys at the manager who barely batted an eyelid and hurried out to the street where my eyes spotted a rather familiar white car…Derrick!

He was already standing by it, ready to open the back as we neared him, Emily slightly apprehensive of him.

"Hello again, Miss Hannah," he said, smiling.

"And a hello to you, Mister Derrick. Where did Tom go?" I asked, looking around for the handsome car.

"He said that he would run ahead and make sure everything was taken care of for you and your friend. Now, if you'd put your luggage in the trunk…"

Emily quickly jammed her luggage into the back and jumped into the front seat, comments already spewing from her lips about the car itself. I laughed in spite of myself and crawled into the back, perfectly happy to take out my phone and start fiddling with it.

The drive to the new hotel was long what with the now heavy flow of traffic into the heart of London. Finally, as changed and the cars became far classier, I knew that we were close. I marveled how quickly Tom had been able to get to the police station from the streets of…Chelsea?! Seriously? That's where he lived?! Of course, he was a rich, amazing, wonderful movie star.

"Ah, here we are." Derrick said as I gawked at the nicest hotel I had ever seen in my entire life.

"The Draycott Hotel!" Emily squeaked out as the car pulled up to the curb and a man in a pillbox hat opened the door to the front and then to the back.

"Welcome to the Draycott Hotel, ladies. I'm guessing you're the two that Mr. Hiddleston told us about?"

"Y-yes," I murmured as the man in the hat smiled and nodded.

"Very good. If you would just come with me, we can set you up with your rooms. Unfortunately, Mr. Hiddleston said he had some business to attend to and apologizes for not being able to show you around personally. However, he did leave a note in your room for a Miss Isbell."

I felt my knees go weak again and Emily nodded as other men and women in caps similar to the bellboy who was speaking to us now quickly unloaded the bags out of the back of the car and rushed them through the double doors.

* * *

**Who sent the letter?! More to follow!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry about the gap between writings. Work has gotten the best of me and I haven't been writing as often as I'd like to. Anyway, if you're new, welcome! If not, welcome back. I apologize for the cheeiness and and OOCness of actors and actresses in advance. That is all. **

* * *

I didn't hear anything from Tom. I didn't want to call and seem clingy but I was starting to get nervous. What if Tom had decided that I wasn't worth anything (which I wasn't, really) and had moved on to greener and more famous pastures? The week went by slowly as I waited for the phone call that would confirm that I was still his date for the party on Friday.

"Relax," Emily would say softly as I checked my phone at lunch, at tourist attractions and shopping, "He'll call."

"He probably met some famous girl." I would respond gloomily, scowling into my diet Pepsi, my water bottle or into my phone screen, "Some famous girl who is probably 10,000 times prettier than me."

"Have you ever considered he might be working on a movie or something?" Emily asked one night impatiently as I again glanced down at my phone, "You're going to make the battery run out faster."

"Ugh!" I groaned as I flopped onto her luxurious bed, the downy white comforter making a taco shell around me, "Why won't he just call me?!"

"Didn't your mom send us money for spa treatments? Let's take a day in tomorrow and go get facials and shit!"

"Fine," I mumbled into the fluffy blanket, "But tomorrow's Friday. Hopefully he'll call tomorrow morning."

"Well, don't be too disappointed if he doesn't call," Emily chided, reaching for the bag of jelly beans she had bought, "I think they put cocaine in these little fuckers."

I looked up at her and arched an eyebrow, "Cocaine? Really?"

"Yeah! They're like…super addictive." She said, popping one into her mouth and chewing, "Want one?"

"I need to keep my girlish figure!" I teased, jumping off her bed and miming an hourglass. Emily laughed and then mimed a pear shape.

"This will be me at the end of this trip!" She giggled before popping another jelly bean into her mouth and chewing thoughtfully, "Now, get your beauty sleep! If we end up going to this party, we need to look as sexy as we possibly can! Move it, girl!"

"Ma'am aye, aye Ma'am!" I joked, giving her a mocking salute and grinning. She made a face and threw a pillow at me. I screamed as I got faceful of fluff, nearly getting knocked off my feet by the impact.

"Go to bed you crazy lady!" Emily shrieked as I threw the pillow back at her and grabbed another off the bed. An epic pillow fight commenced with Emily winning one moment what with the fact that she had two pillows in each hand and me the next being that I now had a long pillow from the loveseat in the corner at my disposal. Long into the night we fought squealing and yelling like little girls.

"Hannah and Tom, sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes love, then comes marriage then…well…we all know what comes after marriage!" Emily yelled giddily before hitting me over the head with the pillow. I yelped in surprised and then lunged for her, missing her by a few inches.

"Oh but maybe that doesn't come after marriage!" I laughed back as Emily suddenly dropped to her haunches, her grin and eyes wide.

"You would GIVE him your virginity?!" She squealed, "Oh my God! Hannah! You ARE in love!"

I smiled and brushed my hair out of my face, glancing at the clock. "Holy snap. It got that late that fast?"

Emily glanced over at the clock and smiled, "It did indeed. Now, you really do need your beauty rest. Goodnight!"

"Goodnight to you too." She said before hurrying off to her bathroom to brush her teeth.

"Yeah…night." I mumbled before dragging my sorry self towards my own bed and flopping down, looking at my customized Doctor Who background, "Tom, don't leave me hanging like this."

I didn't remember falling asleep but the next thing I knew it was morning and I was opening my eyes. The sun was streaming through my curtains and the covers were askew. My hand went to my phone and held it up to see if Tom had called me. Sure enough, the light was blinking red, signaling someone had called me. I squealed and held it up to my ear.

"Hello Hannah, it's Tom. I apologize for not talking to you in the last few days. Believe me, it's been torture for me. Anyway, I want to remind you that you're my date for this evening…not to be demanding or anything but…oh well, that came out badly. Anyway, I'm sending a few dresses over to your room, some for you and some for Emily. I remember you said that she was you wing woman and I can tell that you two are inseparable so I want her to accompany us. I will see you tonight at 8 sharp. I can't wait, darling."

The message ended and I felt my face growing warm. He had called me darling. He…me…darling…I thought I might have an orgasm.

"EMILY! HE CALLED!" I screamed as Emily came stumbling into the room, her hair a disaster.

"Whuchu goin' on 'bout?" She mumbled, rubbing her eyes as I jumped out of bed and jumped around like a crazy woman.

"He called! He called! And he wants you to come with us!" I squealed as her own eyes widened and she began jumping around as well.

"WE'RE GOING TO A HOLLYWOOD PARTY! WE'RE GOING TO A HOLLYWOOD PARTY!" Emily sang as she danced around the room to a silent song. "We are gonna look so sexy the stars will be jealous of us!"

I chuckled and then looked at the clock. "11:30. Breakfast and then to the spa?"

"Way ahead of you, girlfriend." Emily said, winking, "Breakfast in bed is calling our names!"

We spent the rest of the morning amongst room service and soppy romance movies. My personal favorite, The Holiday was on when the doorbell rang pleasantly and both of us rushed towards the door before yanking it open. A startled looking man in a pillbox hat had plastic sheets in one hand and a card in the other.

"Hannah Isbell and Emily Flynn?" He asked in a no nonsense tone of voice.

"That's us," Emily confirmed as the dresses were thrust into our arms. The door was shut in a matter of moments before both of us began jumping up and down screaming silently into the rustling plastic.

"Tom! You are the best!" Emily cheered softly as she rummaged through dress after dress. "Ooh, here's an orange one…I think that's for you, I look ghastly in orange…"

"Wait!" I said, holding up a hand, "Spa first, dresses later."

Emily stuck out a lip, pouting. "Oh, you're no fun."

I shrugged and then grabbed the jeans I had worn the day before, "Come on. A day of pampering and getting primped will do us some good."

Emily brightened up instantly at the mention of pampering, "Alright. Let's do this thing."

Four hours later, we stood back in our room looking like goddesses. We had been pampered, primed and preened to look almost like royalty. While Emily had kept her pale skin and had chosen to gleam like polished abalone, I had chosen for a gentle tan that brought out the gold and green in my usual plain brown eyes. Emily's fire red hair had been curled softly and her bangs swept over her forehead in a gentle swoop and her eyes shimmered with gold and green eye shadow that complimented her soft pink lips.

My own 'chocolate cherry' hair had been curled and had been pinned to one side while my bangs were pulled back and poufed slightly on the top. My own makeup was a little more dramatic with dark, mysterious eyes and dark red lipstick. I felt dangerous and sultry. _Watch out Tom, here I come!_

"Dress time!" Emily squealed, diving into the pile of dresses we had left on the bed. She pulled out the orange thing and threw it at me, "Try it on!"

"Orange isn't my color for tonight," I admitted before pulling out a light baby blue dress, "What about this for you?"

Emily motioned to her made up face, "With this eye shadow? Are you crazy?"

I chuckled and then pulled out a dark red number, "Hello, Sexy."

Emily whistled and then glanced back down into the pile, pulling out a golden flapper dress, "Oh baby, I think I found my baby!"

"Me too," I agreed before tugging off my jeans and feebly tugging off my tank top, "You have to stay here to hook me up."

"Way ahead of you." Emily grunted, struggling to pull off her tee shirt without messing up her head.

I shimmied into the dress and gawked at it. The front was a corset with a jeweled belt with a sweet heart top. The bottom was shorter in the front and dramatically dropped down into exaggerated ruffles.

"Holy shit dude," Emily gawked, "You look amazing."

I glanced back around and my jaw dropped. She looked incredible. The gold flapper dress brought out the prominent gold in her eyes and makeup. She really did look like she belonged in the 20's. The dress just about reached her mid-thigh and made her legs look awesome.

"You too. That dress was made for you." I assured her as she beamed and ushered for me to turn around.

"We look awesome!" Emily gushed as she swung around in her flapper dress and grinned. "Hell, we look like we belong at those sorts of parties!"

I swung around and grinned down at my dress, "I know! What time is it?"

"Only 6. What should we do for another two hours?"

"Oh I think you know," I said, pulling my laptop out of its bag. Emily grinned back at me as we plopped down onto the couch and yanked open the computer.

"YOUTUBE!"

Two hours passed quickly and both of us jumped when the phone rang. Emily quickly picked it up and held it up to her ear, putting on a hoity-toity accent.

"Flynn-Isbell room," She sniffed as I stifled my laughter, "Alright. We will be right down. Thank you." She put down the phone and grinned.

"Alright. I have an idea. I'll go down the stairs first and then you follow me after I announce you to Tom."

I nodded, my butterflies already appearing. We hurried out the door, making sure that everything was locked up. Giggling, we passed an elderly couple who gawked at our outfits. Finally, we made it the stairs. Emily hurried down first in her strappy gold heels where I could hear her talking to Tom in hushed whispers. Finally, I couldn't take it anymore. I squared my shoulders, braced myself and glided down the stairs.

Tom look amazing, as wonderful and it nearly stole my breath away when he literally stopped talking to Emily and stared up in wonder at me, his blue-green eyes wide with awe.

"Hannah…you look…wow." He said softly before I glided across the lobby and smiled at him.

"Well thank you, Mr. Hiddleston." I curtsied slightly as he offered one arm to Emily and then one to me. We both took it and glancing behind his back and I made a silent screaming face as Emily nodded and winked.

"I know tonight is going to be great, I promise you both. It will be a night you'll never forget." Tom assured us as a valet opened the door to the white car that had Derrick behind the wheel!

"You both look lovely this evening, ladies." He said, adjusting his rearview mirror to throw back a wink. I felt my ears turn red in pleasure as the car pulled away from the curb and we were left to our devices with Tom.

Of course Emily launched into the story about how we had met…only when Tom had asked about how we had met each other. The oddballs out at a school full of people who pretended to understand who we were. We found each other after a heated debate about video game characters and we instantly became fast friends.

"And now, we have the same opinions on just about everything." Emily said, grinning and winking at me. I smiled back and Tom laughed, his knuckles brushing against my arm so nonchalantly that I nearly didn't feel it. I shivered slightly and looked up at the night sky, visible through the glass sunroof and wondered how my life could change so drastically in the course of a week.

"Turn on the tunes!" Emily demanded, smoothing out an invisible wrinkle on her dress.

"What would you like to hear, Miss Emily?" Derrick asked as she reached into her bag and pulled out her iPhone and scrolled through a list of songs before handing it to Derrick. He chortled as he plugged in the phone and the Script's Hall of Fame began to play on the sound system.

"Yeah, you can be the greatest, you can be the best, you can be the King Kong banging on his chest!" Emily rapped as Tom grinned and joined in. I laughed and too began to sing along. When the chorus came, the three of us belted it out like there was no tomorrow.

"Standing in the hall of fame! And the world's gonna know you're name!" I sang at the top of my lungs as Tom and Emily did the same. As soon as the song ended and turned into a Bastille song that I knew rather well, I began to laugh, looking up at Tom, "Well the whole world already knows your name, Tom."

He took my hand in his and smiled back at me, his white teeth glowing in the darkness. "If I had my way, I'd let the whole world know yours as well."

I felt myself blush in the darkness as I laughed feebly and glanced out the window, "Are we here?"

Tom let go of my hand and looked out the window, "Indeed we are. I wasn't expecting so much paparazzi here tonight. I hope you two aren't against getting your pictures taken."

"Are you fucking joking me? I was born for the limelight." Emily said, glancing at Tom, "Are we ready?"

"Open the door," Tom instructed as Emily did so. Instantly, the white flashes of light blinded me as Tom followed Emily out of the car and turned back to offer his hand, "Don't worry. I won't let them eat you alive." He said teasingly as I took his hand and gripped it as people called out his name.

"Tom! Over here Tom!"

"Who are your dates, Mr. Hiddleston?"

"Excuse me! Girl in the red! What are you wearing?"

The questions came like bullets and I was the target. My head spun as Tom wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me in close as he did the same with Emily. I was left to smile and laugh as I struck goofy poses and waved to the men and women with cameras. Every girl dreamed of being on the red carpet and now…now I had my chance. Tonight, I wasn't some Coastie from some obscure town nobody had ever heard of. I was Hannah Isbell, movie star and date of the one and only Tom Hiddleston. Tonight, I wasn't a normal girl you'd pass on the street, I was a sun and the world revolved around me.

Finally, we were ushered into a theater where the music was being played so loudly my ears thrummed each time a bass note resounded.

"Oh my God…Matt Smith alert! Matt Smith alert!" Emily hissed, digging her nails into my forearm. Sure enough, her favorite Doctor and her boyfriend if she could have her way, was standing in the corner looking dapper in a black suit with a bow tie…of course. He saw Emily gawking slightly and acknowledged her with a slight raise of his glass and a wink.

"Noooooo way…" Emily gushed as she nearly fell on top of me.

"Watch it!" I hissed as I nearly tripped over my shoes, "There's Lily Collins. Man, I wished I looked as good as she does in thick eyebrows."

"Me too…oh, was the Johnny Depp? Gotta scout him out later." Emily rambled on as she saw something on the far corner of the wall, "Hold on…open bar?! I am so there! Will you two be alright without me?"

"I think we'll manage without you, Emily." Tom reassured her as she grinned and let go of my arm, "Now that we've gotten rid of her, I'd love for you to meet some people."

He introduced me to Chris Hemsworth and his wife and Benedict Cumberbatch whom I nearly fell over as I shook his hand and gushed over Sherlock. Thankfully, he was a good sport and thanked me for being such a big fan of the show. He and Tom bantered in small talk as I looked around the star studded club. The place was large and quite luxurious but kept dim for obvious reasons. If someone like…per say, me before I knew Tom had wandered in, I probably wouldn't be able to tell who half the people were anyway.

Finally, Tom bade farewell to Benedict and we sat down at a table and glanced at each other almost awkwardly before laughing slightly. I saw his lip move but couldn't quite make out the words.

"What?" I asked as he leaned in closer to my ear, his day old stubble that he managed to rock tickling my ear.

"Would you like a drink?!" He asked as he pulled away slightly.

"Yeah, gin and tonic!" I yelled as he nodded. However, before he left, his lips pressed a gentle kiss against my cheek, sending shivers up and down my body.

"Good choice," he said before pulling away and turning on his heel to go get the drinks. I sat for a few moments before suddenly; someone took Tom's empty seat! He was tall with a well-defined chin and bright blue eyes that sparkled in the darkness. He also happened to be wearing a bowtie.

"No way…" I began to say, a grin forming on my lips, "Matt Smith?!"

He grinned back and did a little half salute, "Guilty as charged!"

I laughed and then crossed my arms over the table, "Can I say what an honor it is to be sitting at the same table as the 11th Doctor?"

He snorted and leaned forward as well, "Might I say what an honor it is to be sitting at the table with the woman who jumps off bridges to save another human being?"

My cheeks turned red with flattery and giggled slightly, "Oh stop it, you're making me blush."

Matt chuckled and downed the drink he had been holding in his hand, "Actually, I wanted to ask you a question, Miss…?"

"You can just call me Hannah."

"Very well, Hannah. Actually, I wanted to ask you about your friend that you walked in with. Have you seen her?"

I shrugged and glanced over at the bar, "Last place I saw her was at the bar. No luck?"

"None, I was just over there." Matt agreed almost grimly. I scanned the crowd until my eyes landed on a dance floor and saw the bright redhead who was trying to teach a man to swing dance.

"I found her. I'm pretty sure she's trying to swing dance with Joseph Gordon Lovett and he's absolutely failing."

Matt sat up like he had been stuck with a hot poker, "And she swings? Thank you for your assistance, Hannah. I hope to speak to you again soon."

"You as well, Doctor." I said teasingly as he shot me one last lopsided grin and slipped away into the crowd.

"You certainly have a way with people." A Russian sounding voice oozed towards my ear as I glanced up. Standing at my right was the prettiest woman I had ever seen before. She was about 5' 9" with pleats of dark blonde hair that were mostly pinned back in an elegant bun in a simple yet beautiful and elegant dress that made mine look childish. Her bright hazel eyes were lined with kohl and sparkled under the light of the dance floor.

"Ah, Elena! I didn't think you were coming tonight." Tom said suddenly, appearing behind my chair, two drinks in hand. He handed me mine and I made sure that our fingers brushed when the drink passed hands. I sipped it as the woman plastered a grin on her face almost as fake as the melons in her 5,000 dollar dress.

"Oh Tom, if you're going to be here, I make it my top priority to be there." She laughed dryly after this and cast her eyes towards me. They now held a feral sort of light as if I had stepped onto her territory.

Turning to me, he motioned to the woman, "Hannah, this is Elena Tishchenko. She's a breakout actress from Russia who's my costar in my new movie."

"It's a pleasure," I said, trying to keep the ice out of my voice as I extended my hand. She looked at it for a few seconds and for a moment, I was afraid she would lunge out and bite it off. However, after a few more moments, she took it and shook it, smiling down at me.

"Tom, how do you know this girl?" She asked slowly, as if she already knew the answer.

"She's the one who risked her life to save me." Tom explained, glancing down at me before placing a hand on my bare shoulder and giving it a squeeze, "I owe her my life."

I looked down and attempted to hide my grin. Obviously I didn't hide it well enough because when I glanced up, Elena was looking down at me with so much contempt, I could feel the daggers burying deep into my skin.

"Well…I'm sure that she appreciates the pity date…" Elena said softly, obviously trying to get under my skin. Tom squeezed my shoulder and smiled at Elena.

"It's not a pity date, Elena. I really wanted Hannah to be my date tonight."

'Ha, take that, Ms. Silicone.' I cheered silently in my mind as Elena's eyes narrowed and she nodded to me and then to Tom.

"Alright. Well, there are some other people I need to speak to. I will see you on Monday, Tom." She nodded to me and then turned on her heel, leaving us to our own devices. I looked up at Tom who was, surprisingly, looking down at me.

"What?" I snapped almost defensively as he arched an eyebrow and attempted to hide his smile.

"Nothing. Where did Emily go?" He asked, scanning the crowd for my best friend. Finally, I spotted her on the dance floor, getting hot and heavy with Matt Smith. Both had ditched the swing dancing and probably neither was quite in their right state of mind.

"Really, Em?" I laughed and downed the rest of my drink in an instant, "Well, why should we let them have all the fun? Come on!"

I dragged him out the dance floor and looked up at him, wondering if we should dance like the other couples on the floor or whether or not dancing like a slut would win me points with Tom. Of course it wouldn't.

"Do you know how to salsa?" I asked automatically, thinking of the first time I had danced and had fallen in love with it.

"Actually, yes. I do and I am beyond thankful you know how to as well." He said as he took off his jacket and discarded it on a chair. Of course the music wasn't quite salsa but I had danced to worse. Tom wrapped his arm around my waist and pressed his thigh between my legs, his face so close to mine I could smell the drink on his breath.

"You ready?" He asked softly as I nodded slightly and the music began to play.

"I need your love; I need your time,

When everything's wrong, you make it feel right,

I feel so high, I come alive,

I need to be free, I need to be free, with you tonight…"

The Ellie Goulding song wasn't super popular on American radios quite yet but I knew the song. We moved to the beat and for a moment, it was only Tom and me on the dance floor. There was no one else.

He dipped me for a split second, his strong arms wrapping around my waist. As quickly as it had happened, he pulled me back up, our lips mere centimeters away from each other. The song crescendoed and Tom spun me around, never once letting go of my waist. As the song faded, I felt Tom's lips brush against mine and I closed my eyes, anticipating the kiss that would follow. However, it never happened as he loosened his grip on me, gazing into my eyes. I felt my knees go weak and I smiled back, tucking a piece of dislodged hair behind my ear.

"That was incredible. I don't remember the last time that I had a dance partner like you." He admitted as I winked and wriggled out of his grasp, wishing I had the courage to grab his chin and pull his lips onto mine.

"You guys were incredible!" Emily voice was heard suddenly as we glanced over at the ruddy cheeked girl. "I mean, Matt was just saying that…"

"Wait…How much have you had to drink?" I asked as she arched an eyebrow and cocked her head.

"Uh…probably too much. Anyway, I'm gonna go catch a ride home from him. But, I'll talk to you guys tomorrow…probably." She walked away, humming a tune as Tom and I looked on, him in curiosity and me in sheer amazement.

"Well, if she's going home with him, then I see no point in staying." Tom stated before pulling out his phone and texting Derrick. The text was quickly replied to and he excused himself to go find his jacket. Standing on the outskirts of the dancers, I should have sensed her but I didn't.

A set of tiger claws dug into my upper arm, causing me to hiss in pain.

"Listen to me and listen to me well, little girl. Tom is mine. He doesn't belong with ugly little brats like you. If you don't leave him alone, I will make your life a living hell, do you understand me?"

I whipped around and nearly slapped Elena as she tried to slip back into the shadows, "I know how to fucking handle myself. You threaten me again, I WILL get my government involved and don't think just because you're famous you can hide behind that. I don't deal with cat fights or girls who have more silicone than flesh. However, if you force my hand, I will hurt you. Now, do YOU understand me?"

Elena took a step forward and raised her hand to slap me but I was ready for her. I stepped out of the way and I would have nearly hauled off and punched her but I didn't want to get blood all over my nice dress. She swore at me in Russian and flipped me off with the British Bird and stormed away. Although this battle had passed, I knew that the last few weeks of my stay in London would be interesting with a new player.

Tom returned with his jacket and as soon as he was done putting it on, offered me his arm. Sheepishly I took it and we walked towards the entrance, the paparazzi still milling around. As soon as we exited, the cameras flashed and they followed us all the way to the car.

"What stories could they really want?" I asked more to myself as I slid next to Tom.

"Well, let's give them something to talk about," Tom said softly before reaching over, placing a hand on my exposed thigh and kissing me square on the mouth, his other hand gripping my chin.

The paparazzi went crazy, snapping pictures, shoving themselves towards the car as Tom closed the car door and grinning. "Let Elena get wind of those, she'll leave well enough alone."

"Wait...Elena?"

"As much as I hate to talk behind my coworker's backs, Elena is the most obsessive and conceited woman I have ever worked with. I cannot stand her."

"R-really?" I asked softly as Tom gripped my chin between thumb and forefinger and kissed the tip of my nose.

"Really, really. Hannah, how would you feel about staying with me tonight?"

I was floored. I was on the fence about it. No I wasn't. Tom freaking HIDDLESTON was inviting me to stay at his house.

"It would be my honor." I said softly as Tom grinned and kissed me again. And again. And again. Gods. It was Heaven in the back of a car. His velvety tongue swept across my lips, begging for entrance and I allowed it. I soon found myself straddling his waist, my dress hitched up around my thighs, his hands on my hipbones, making slow, sensual circles as I gasped and moaned and squirmed under his ministrations.

"Oh Tom…" I murmured as he trailed little kissed down my neck, slowly placing them down my collarbone.

"Hush, my darling. Don't say anything now." He said softly before I slid off his lap and curled up next to him like a mere child. He instantly wrapped his arm around my naked shoulders and squeezed, "If you want to sleep, you can."

"Mmhmm," I mumbled as my eyes slowly shut and the dreams that had haunted me since I was a child finally began to fall into place.

* * *

**Darling best friend...You are the best. Thank you for letting me use and abuse you in my stories. XD**


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